Lodging

Traveling with family in tow? For the great American road trip, you may eventually need to upgrade to the minivan with the DVD player inside, but for now, check out the top motels for kids in the US. Each one is a fun find perfect for entertaining the young ones, and lets you stay in the budget.

The Wigwam Motel in Holbrook, Arizona: Stay in a teepee! The inside is a cozy room, but the outside inspires games galore. Call 928-524-3048 for more details.

Kids love Arizona's Wigwam Motel

No hotel or resort has decor and accommodations wilder than those of Caliente Tropics Resort in Palm Springs, California. The rooms are done up in Polynesian gaudiness and splendor. The pool alone is massive enough to warrant the visit. Bonus: It’s pet friendly.

Caliente Tropics Resort

A trip to Cottonwood, Idaho, is a chance to stay in the Dog Park Bark Inn Bed and Breakfast. The bed and breakfast is shaped like a beagle, the world’s largest.

Dog Park Bark Inn

Out ‘n’ About Treesort in Taklima, Oregon, offers the family a chance to sleep in the trees. This will surely be one resort the kids will love; it takes treehouses to the next level. Breakfast included. Call 541-592-2208 for more details.

Photos courtesy of the Wigwam Motel, Caliente Tropics Resort and the Dog Park Bark Inn.

Monte Carlo in Las Vegas cliff1066

There’s good and bad with everything. Now that the economy is in the dumps (bad!) there are some incredible travel deals (good!).

I just found a great deal in Las Vegas.

The Monte Carlo Resort and Casino is offering a special price. The AAA-Four Diamond resort is offering rates from $42-$51 per night over several Sundays through Thursdays from May through August. That’s a real deal!

The fun thing about Las Vegas is there’s so much to do. It’s not all about gambling. I love to go to Las Vegas for the hiking! Red Rock Canyon, about a half-hour drive out of Las Vegas, is full of hiking trails. One morning we started early and had Bighorn Sheep following us along our hike. Sometimes you’ll see wild burros.

Sunrise at Red Rock Canyon

Hiking with Bighorn Sheep

Steel ladder to Arizona Hot Springs

And then there’s Lake Mead National Recreation Area with Hoover Dam. And not far from the dam, Arizona Hot Springs is a 5.6 mile hike via White Rock Canyon, a spectacular slot canyon with tale-tell signs of multiple flash floods hurling car-sized boulders into the canyon. The hike goes by Lake Mohave, an emerald green pool of water that’s part of the Colorado River below Hoover Dam. And the hot springs are awesome! A 20-foot vertical steel ladder climbs up to a series of hot springs–bathing suits are optional.

And when the sun goes down you’ve got the strip, and all of those glorious lights. The selection of restaurants all within walking distance is beyond compare. That’s enough entertainment for me.

I think I’ll take advantage of Monte Carlo’s offer this summer. It will be too hot to do much hiking, but I’ll bring a good book and hang out by the pool.

Photos by Betsy Husband

Monte Carlo Resort and Casino
3770 Las Vegas Blvd.
888-529-4828

When I reported on the new Osprey at Beaver Creek (now a RockResort, formerly the Inn at Beaver Creek) for Fodors.com’s Hot List, I only had about 80 words for my review! Not enough to highlight all of the fabulous amenities and services at this brand-new new luxury boutique property at Beaver Creek, Colorado, that opened in December 2008 (after a $7.5 million renovation):

Comfortable and hip lobby at the Osprey.

1. It’s literally steps (maybe 12 paces?) to the Strawberry Park chairlift — the closest hotel to any chairlift in North America.

2. The complimentary ski valet is SUPER cool. You store your skis or snowboard overnight in a secure closet right next to the door leading to the close-by lift. Boots are stored there, too, on heaters. Friendly staff help you get your gear and start your ski day.

3. The small-plates menu is out of this world: lobster nachos, bacon-wrapped maple quail, jumbo lump crab cakes, mushroom quesadillas. Plus, there are a couple of “normal” sized entrees, such as chilean sea bass or filet of beef.

4. I love the decor — lots of natural stone and dark wood and texture, all to reflect the mountain environment without one elk antler or dead animal in sight.

5. The sleek style found in the lobby and common rooms extends to the rooms. More warm oranges and tans, plus “leather granite” and marble countertops. Rooms are equipped with DVD player, flat-screen TV, mp3 docking station, coffeemaker.

Sleek, modern room at the Osprey at Beaver Creek.

6. The hot breakfast will fuel your day outdoors: eggs, bacon, pastries, cereal, bagels, fruit, juice, Starbucks coffee.

7. Small but stocked fitness room.

8. Sweet outdoor pool and hot tub.

9. Valet parking is included in the resort fee. (That’s one down side: each room is charged $30/night for “extras” like parking, wireless, use of fitness center, breakfast.)

10. Every guest has a personal concierge to help make dinner reservations, book activities, make transportation arrangements to the airport or call for the free resort shuttle. (Note: Beaver Creek is about 2 hours from Denver.)

Photos courtesy Osprey at Beaver Creek, a Rock Resort.

I’m a sucker for historic hotels. I always think, “If these walls could talk…” I like to envision ladies in Victorian dress primping for an evening meal, or gentlemen tying their horses up to posts outside the lobby. Of course, I’m daydreaming while I’m sipping my in-room Starbucks coffee or watching TV — hey, I still like modern amenities!

Front portico of the grand Otesaga Resort Hotel

I just learned the Cooperstown, New York’s Otesaga Hotel is celebrating its centennial in 2009. I love that it’s still in the hands of the Clark family that built it in 1909. Another cool fact: two days after it opened, it hosted the annual conference of the New York Press Association; that same group (no, not the same individual journalists!) will return to the hotel this year for its annual event.

To celebrate its centennial, the Otesaga Hotel, a AAA Four-Diamond hotel, will offer beverage and dining menus that were popular in the early 1900s (that should be a hoot!), as well as the VIP “Centennial Package” throughout its operating season (mid-April to late November) and a special “Weekend Celebration Package” April 17-19.

The lakefront property has 135 rooms, a top-rated golf course, two dining rooms, heated outdoor pool and lake canoeing and swimming. Cooperstown is home to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Photo courtesy Otesaga Hotel.

Related posts:

• Historic New Sheridan Hotel in Telluride, Colorado
• Historic Hotel Colorado in Glenwood Springs

From Nancy D. Brown of What a Trip

Mill Casino Suite

After a morning of Dune Buggy riding in North Bend, Oregon, I was looking forward to checking into my hotel room at the nearby Mill Casino to kick back and relax.  I stopped to have lunch at the Plankhouse Restaurant and was very happy with the crab melt sandwich.

The recent $42 million dollar hotel expansion not only added more casino space and much needed meeting room suites, it upgraded the waterfront hotel with a seven-story, 92 room tower.

SPA DAY 

Mill Casino Spa Tub

I could have spent the entire morning in the spa bathtub that looked out over the water.  Instead, I moved to the deck, wrapped in the fluffy white cotton hotel robe and scanned my book.  Afterall, I was reading “Out Our Backdoor” a paperback outlining Oregon South Coast Driving Tours and Day-Hikes in the area. That afternoon I ventured to Golden Falls with guide Marty Giles and was in awe of her local knowledge and the natural beauty that surrounded us on our hike to the thundering water fall.

The Mill Hotel, owned by the Coquille (pronounced “Ko Kwel”) Indian Tribe,  has done a nice job with the natural decor and color scheme in the tower rooms. Those in need of a 42″ flat-screen TV will be happy, as well as the complimentary internet access, but for me, the real beauty of the area is in the outdoors. My complimentary room, one of six bay-view luxury suites, rented for $280 a night with the AAA discount in the winter.  Check the website for getaway packages and if you enjoy gambling, consider the Millionaires Club for benefits and discounts.

Mill Casino Hotel and RV Park 1 (800) 953-4800

3201 Tremont Avenue, North Bend, Oregon 97459

Pet-friendly

Enjoy the views from the foothills on horseback

Take your family to the “Cowboy Capital of the World,” where dude ranches are more plentiful than hotels and motels.

Do something different this year for spring break. Forget the long lines at the ski resorts and leave your snowclothes at home. Give the sandy beaches of Baja to the college scene and leave your passports at home. Pack your jeans, grab your hat, and get ready for some boot stompin’ fun.

Bandera, Texas, along with being the “cowboy capital of the world,” could also be known as the “Dude Ranch Capital of the World.” And this place ain’t big enough to be the capital of anything with a population density of 22 people per square mile. Compare that to New York City with over 25,000 people per square mile. 

Comfortable accommodations in rustic decor

Running-R Guest Ranch

Why not spend some time with the kids this year living life in the slow lane. Wake up to a hearty Cowboy Breakfast and spend some time exploring the ranch. Take a picnic and go for a long, relaxing horseback ride up into the hills where the views go further then the eyes can follow. Head back to the ranch and play some horseshoes, or grab a pole and do a little fishing. The Running-R Guest Ranch purposefully doesn’t create an itinerary for you. Their goal is for you to relax and have fun.

Enjoy a Cowboy Breakfast

At the end of the day, if you’re just too relaxed to go out to dinner, cook your own steak on the grill and settle your family around the campfire for some cowboy conversation. Rediscover these simple pleasures and reconnect with the people who are most important to you.

Tell your favorite stories around the campfire

Photos courtesy of Running-R Guest Ranch

Running-R Guest Ranch
9059 Bandera Creek Road
Bandera, Texas 78003
830-796-3984

From Nancy D. Brown of What a Trip

This Olde House

I opened the door to the Redwood Room and the smell of bacon wafted in. Innkeeper Sally White had asked me the night prior if I had any food allergies and did I eat meat?  Seeing as I was the only guest on a Tuesday night, the spry 78-year-old didn’t need to worry about filling This Olde House with the smell of bacon.

My February stay in the small community of Coos Bay, Oregon began on a rainy day in San Francisco.  The two hour United flight, delayed several hours due to foul weather, delivered me to the coastal town of North Bend, not to be confused with Bend, located in Central Oregon. FYI, SkyWest Airlines recently began this new United Express service between SFO and North Bend.

I was invited to stay in the 1893 Bed and Breakfast, built by Ireland’s Joseph Bennett.  Bennett’s father, George, was the founder of nearby Bandon, Oregon.  Bandon offers world-class golfing for those in the know.

This Olde House Bed & Breakfast is a two story, wooden frame building with one large honeymoon fireplace suite under the hipped roof in the attic and four bedrooms on the second floor.  Each budget-friendly room offers a little something different as Innkeeper Sally White has the house chock full of antiques. 

Redwood Room

The Redwood Room, also referred to as the Honeymoon Suite, offers a view of the water and has a day bed in a corner nook for a well behaved child.  The room rents for $165 in the winter and $185 in the summer, including a complimentary bottle of wine, soft drinks and bottled water stocked in the mini fridge.  All rooms include a hearty, home-cooked breakfast. Innkeeper Sally White said that small pets are welcome, too.

“Take a brochure,” offers White on my way out the door. “I had lots of brochures printed.  When the brochures run out, I’ll retire,” adds White with a chuckle.

This Olde House 1 (541) 267-5224

202 Alder Avenue, Coos Bay, Oregon

The Laurel Inn, San Francisco.

When my brother got married last June, I helped arrange affordable accommodations for the couple’s out-of-town guests.

Most of my family landed at the Hotel del Sol in the Marina, while my brother and the bride’s entourage stayed at the Laurel Inn, close to the ceremony site and the Presidio, where the reception was held.

A mid-century former motor lodge, the Laurel Inn has been gussied up by the Joie de Vivre folks and bears their unmistakable stamp — a fancy paint job, niceties like afternoon lemonade and cookies, attractive and efficient rooms, and a helpful and friendly staff.

Though the bridesmaids seemed underwhelmed by their lodgings, my brother’s suite was colorful and spacious with a view of downtown, a seating area, and a kitchenette.

One nice perk is access to the splashy JCC, an amazing fitness facility across the street for $10.

The location, on the edge of Pacific Heights, can go either way depending on what you’re seeking. It’s not in the middle of any real tourist area, but nearby Sacramento Street has great shopping and some standout and restaurants.

Laurel Village, two blocks a way is convenient for banking, groceries, Peet’s Coffee, Walgreens, Starbucks, a hardware store, Book’s Inc., and several clothing stores. Ella’s across the street has had hungry patrons lining up outside for brunch on the weekend for close to 20 years.

A colorful suite at the Laurel Inn, SF.

A solid option for families, many of the rooms at the LI have kitchenettes and the neighborhood has lots of retail aimed at the shorties — from The Ark, selling only wooden toys to Snippety Crickets, a children’s hair salon to Dottie Doolittle, a high-end baby boutique. The aforementioned JCC also offers childcare. And in the Presidio, a few blocks away is the mack daddy of San Francisco playgrounds.

But I wasn’t at the Laurel Inn to discuss bambinos, I dropped by to take a jittery groom out for a cocktail. Fortunately Swank, the plushy, retro lounge was just downstairs.

Poppies against brilliant blue sky photogirl7@flickr

Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve looks like it’s going to burst alive soon. The early snow and recent rains are a recipe for a dramatic wildflower display, but there’s no guarantee. Just like a souffle it could flop at the last minute.

Fields of wildflowers tomsaint11@flickr

This unique area of the Mojave Desert Grassland habitat has a different show from year to year, depending on a variety of reasons. The colors, scents, and length of time the flowers are blooming depend strictly on Mother Nature.

Field of poppies mikebaird@flickr

But since this year promises to be spectacular, start making plans now so you don’t miss the show.

House surrounded by poppies Gore Fiendus@flickr

The Jane S. Pinheiro Interpretive Center will re-open for the wildflower season on Saturday, March 14. Arrive early with a prepared picnic and grab one of the picnic tables that are available on a first-come, first-served basis. From there you will enjoy a peaceful view of the San Gabriel Mountains. But leave your dog at home. Dogs are not allowed on the trail, and the parking lot is in full sun with no shade.

People walking among poppies tomsaint11@flickr

Some favorite places to stay near the Poppy Reserve are listed below. All area codes are (661):

• Comfort Inn and Suites 723-2001
• SpringHill Suites  729-2390
• Holiday Inn Express  951-8848
• Hampton Inn and Suites  940-9194
• Town House Motel  942-1195

Poppies and cherry blossoms rojer@flickr

See the beautiful wilflowers of the California desert.

Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve
15101 Lancaster Road
Lancaster, CA

With Mardi Gras just around the corner, it’s time for indulging and celebrating, but that doesn’t mean that you have to do it Bourbon Street style. A visit to New Orleans and the House on Bayou Road, a charming bed and breakfast, means eating well Nawlins style: Cajun meets Creole meets French. But you’ll leave with more than just a full belly. The House to Bayou Road is also a cooking school: Sip Champagne while learning how to cook New Orleans cuisine from Frank Brigtsen of Brigtsen’s Restaurant, Boo Macomber and others. Weekly half-day lunch or dinner classes available, starting at $150.

The House on Bayou Road

Many of the rooms offer Jacuzzi tubs, fireplaces and other homey touches. All are intimately romantic. With its library and four poster bed, the Bayou St. John room is my favorite. Room rates start at $135.

The Bayou St. John room

Call 504-945-9104 for more information.

Photos courtesy of House on Bayou Road.